Places to Eat in Adana

Adana is a city that has earned a solid place in the culinary world, both in Turkey and internationally. This cuisine masterfully combines meat, spices, embers, and wood fire, offering a wide range of flavors beyond just kebabs, including offal dishes, desserts, street food, and traditional beverages. The city’s iconic dish, Adana Kebab, leaves an unforgettable taste with its perfectly grilled meat. There are kebab restaurants all over the city, but for the best experience, you should visit places like Asmaaltı Kebap, Yeşil Kapı, Birbiçer Kebap Salonu, Hasan Usta, and Kazancılar Kebapçısı. One of the oldest and most well-established kebab restaurants, Kebapçı Mesut, is also an excellent choice for experiencing the perfect harmony of spices and embers. If you want something beyond kebab, Kaburgacı Cabbar is the perfect spot for a delicious rib feast.

One of Adana’s boldest and most unique delicacies is şırdan. This offal dish, made by stuffing a special cut of meat with spiced rice and cooking it to perfection, is a must-try after a late-night kebab feast. It might sound unusual to first-timers, but visiting Adana without tasting it would be incomplete. One of the best places to try şırdan is Şırdancı Bedo. If it’s your first time, don’t forget to squeeze some lemon and sprinkle cumin for the full experience. Another highly popular dish in the city, besides kebab, is Adana-style içli köfte (stuffed meatballs). Unlike other regions, Adana’s version is boiled rather than fried, featuring a thin outer shell and a generous minced meat filling. You can enjoy this delicacy at places like Ciğerci Mahmut. Lahmacun is another must-try; with its thin, crispy dough and spicy minced meat topping, Adana’s version offers a unique taste that is hard to find elsewhere in Turkey.

When it comes to desserts, Adana’s most famous summer treat is bici bici. This refreshing dessert, made with starch and ice and topped with rose water and syrup, is the perfect way to cool down on a hot day. One of the best places to try it is Kazım Büfe. In winter, another favorite is halka tatlı, a crispy and syrupy fried dessert commonly sold by street vendors. A great spot to enjoy this delicacy is Beyaz Dondurmacı. Another must-try is sarı burma, a rich and flavorful dessert made with pistachios and syrup-infused kadayıf dough, representing the best of Adana’s dessert culture.

No meal in Adana is complete without trying the city's traditional beverages. Şalgam suyu (fermented turnip juice) is the most popular drink to accompany kebab, available in both spicy and non-spicy versions to balance out the richness of the meat. Other must-try drinks include şıra, a sweet grape-based beverage, and Misis ayranı, a regional take on the classic Turkish yogurt drink. In Adana, the food experience doesn’t end when the sun goes down nighttime eating is a big part of the city’s culture. You can enjoy kebab at any hour, but the most iconic late-night dish is şırdan. Another unique experience is visiting Kazım Büfe for their famous banana milk and toast, a nostalgic yet delicious treat.

Eating in Adana is not just a necessity; it’s a cultural experience. Leaving the city without tasting these unique flavors means missing out on the true essence of Adana. If you have a passion for food and are open to discovering new tastes, Adana’s cuisine will undoubtedly exceed your expectations.

For accommodation recommendations, check out our Adana Hotels page.